Essential First Aid Plus

🐾🙏 Animals deserve a little extra love tomorrow! ❤️

Join me at the Blessing of the Animals at St. James Cathedral in Toronto on October 3rd at 11 AM!

🐶🐱🐴 Bring your beloved animal — or a photo if they can’t attend — and celebrate the special bond we share with our animals.

This beautiful tradition is held in honour of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and all creation. 🐾

I’ll be there with Essential First Aid Plus, celebrating our animal companions and sharing the importance of being prepared when they need us most.

📍 St. James Cathedral West Lawn
📅 October 3
⏰ 11 AM

Come say hi — I’d love to see you there! ❤️🐾

AnimalLovers

🍂 HELLO, OCTOBER! 🍂

Cooler walks, colourful trails and cozy evenings are here—but fall brings a few seasonal hazards for our dogs, too.

This month, we’ll be talking about:

🍄 Wild mushrooms
🐭 Rodenticides
🚗 Antifreeze
🌙 Earlier sunsets and reduced visibility
🦃 Thanksgiving foods
🎃 Halloween candy, costumes and door safety
❄️ Preparing for the cold months ahead

We’ll also be sharing practical first-aid tips, interactive scenarios and opportunities to learn these skills hands-on.

Follow along, save the posts you may need later, and tag a dog lover who should join us!

What does your dog love most about fall? 🍁🐾

PC: HSCHLIEP5

🐾 BREED FEATURE: THE DOBERMAN PINSCHER

Sleek. Powerful. Watchful.

And often completely convinced that personal space is unnecessary. 😄

🇩🇪 A BREED WITH A UNIQUE BEGINNING

The Doberman was developed in Germany during the late 1800s by Louis Dobermann—a tax collector who wanted an intelligent, loyal and protective dog to accompany him on his rounds.

The result was an athletic working breed known for courage, trainability and devotion.

Dobermans later served in police, military, search and rescue, service work—and as deeply attached family companions.

❤️ THE “VELCRO DOG”

Behind the imposing appearance is a dog that often wants to be involved in absolutely everything its family does.

Dobermans are intelligent, sensitive and highly trainable. They need thoughtful socialization, physical activity and plenty of mental engagement.

⚠️ WATCH-OUTS

❤️ HEART HEALTH
Dobermans have an increased risk of dilated cardiomyopathy, which can sometimes develop before obvious symptoms appear. Weakness, fainting, unusual fatigue, coughing or breathing changes warrant veterinary attention.

🩸 BLEEDING DISORDERS
Von Willebrand disease can affect normal blood clotting. Responsible health screening is important, particularly before surgery.

🦴 NECK AND SPINE
The breed can be affected by cervical vertebral instability, often called Wobbler syndrome. An unsteady gait, weakness or neck pain should be assessed.

🚨 BLOAT/GDV
Their deep chest also places them at risk of GDV. A swollen abdomen, repeated unsuccessful attempts to vomit, heavy drooling, restlessness or collapse require immediate emergency care.

Loyal, clever and far more tender-hearted than their serious expression suggests.

Do you have a Doberman shadow following you from room to room? Tell us their name! 👇

PC yamaBSM

Learning canine first aid doesn’t mean you expect something terrible to happen.

You carry a leash without expecting your dog to run away.

You use identification without expecting them to become lost.

You buckle them safely into the vehicle without expecting a collision.

First aid belongs in that same conversation.

It is not fear.

It is preparation.

It is learning what to do while everything is calm—so you have something to rely on when it isn’t.

We hope you never need to perform CPR.

We hope you never face choking, severe bleeding or a frightening injury.

But hope and preparation can exist together.

Preparedness isn’t expecting the worst.

It’s loving them enough to be prepared
DogsAreFamily DogSafety

Could you tell if your dog’s breathing had changed?

Knowing their normal resting respiratory rate gives you a useful baseline.

Here’s how to measure it:

1️⃣ Wait until your dog is deeply relaxed or sleeping—not panting, dreaming or recently active.

2️⃣ Watch the chest rise and fall.

3️⃣ One rise and fall equals one breath.

4️⃣ Count for 30 seconds and multiply by two.

Repeat this on several different days to learn what is normal for your individual dog.

More important than one isolated number is a consistent change from your dog’s usual pattern.

Contact your veterinarian if your dog’s resting rate is repeatedly elevated or if you notice:

🚨 Increased effort to breathe
🚨 Abdominal movement with each breath
🚨 Flaring nostrils
🚨 An extended neck or unusual posture
🚨 Restlessness or inability to settle
🚨 Pale, grey or blue gums
🚨 Weakness or collapse

Visible breathing difficulty is an emergency.

Try measuring your dog’s resting respiratory rate tonight and write it down. Do you know their normal?

🐾 We’re here! 🐾

Essential First Aid Plus is at the Pet Valu Aurora Walk for Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides today at George Richardson Park in Newmarket! 🐕❤️

👉 Come find our booth! Stop by, say hello, and chat with us about canine first aid and emergency preparedness. 🩹🐶

We’d love to see you! ❤️

🐾 Come Visit the Essential First Aid Plus Booth! 🐾

I’ll be hosting the Essential First Aid Plus booth at the Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides, hosted by the North Newmarket Lions Club, on Saturday, September 26th at George Richardson Park in Newmarket! 🐕❤️

Stop by and say hello, learn about canine, feline & equine first aid and CPR, and check out our upcoming courses and resources.

❤️ Come support a great cause and visit us at the booth!